These wildfires have been catastrophic for Australia. They have forced multiple evacuations and beach rescues, resulted in loss of human life, including firefighters, as well as unprecedented numbers of animal deaths. And thousands of dwellings have also been destroyed.

How is wildfire science informing how fires are fought? Dr. Brandon Collins is a Research Scientist with the US Forest Service’s Pacific Southwest Research Station and the Center for Fire Research and Outreach at UC Berkeley.